❓ WA Minister criticises the Federal Environment Minister's rejection of the Asian Renewable Energy Hub's second stage, highlighting the project's importance for WA's economy and job creation, and accusing the federal government of climate change denial.
AnsweredQoN 269Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ASIAN RENEWABLE ENERGY HUB
269. Ms J.J. SHAW to the Minister for State Development,
Jobs and Trade:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's investment in establishing Western Australia as a world
leader in renewable hydrogen and creating new jobs in this emerging industry.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house what this government's response has been
to the decision by federal Liberal minister Sussan Ley to reject the Asian
Renewable Energy Hub?
(2) Can the minister advise the house what this
project will mean for jobs, businesses and industry in the Pilbara?
269. Ms J.J. SHAW to the Minister for State Development,
Jobs and Trade:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's investment in establishing Western Australia as a world
leader in renewable hydrogen and creating new jobs in this emerging industry.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house what this government's response has been
to the decision by federal Liberal minister Sussan Ley to reject the Asian
Renewable Energy Hub?
(2) Can the minister advise the house what this
project will mean for jobs, businesses and industry in the Pilbara?
AnswerView source ↗
I would like to thank the member for
the question and her ongoing interest and expertise in the area of energy.
(1)–(2) We
are all excited about the jobs that will be created and the expansion of new
industries in the renewable energy sector. Whether it is for the generation,
manufacture or export of hydrogen in the future, the future energy focus is the future for the Western Australian
economy. We are excited about the changes in our energy and resources
industry and what they will mean for the ongoing diversification of the Western
Australian economy. We are excited about projects such as the Asian Renewable
Energy Hub, which is tipped to be a world leader in green hydrogen production,
particularly as we move responsibly towards a decarbonised economy. We are most excited about the potential
for projects such as these to transform the Pilbara economy and to create over 5 000 jobs in construction and
3 000 jobs in its operation over the life of the project. There is one
government that is not as excited as we are about this project. It is
disappointing to see the federal government is not so excited about this
project, particularly when it appears to have supported it thus far.
In
October 2020, the first 15-gigawatt stage of the project received state
government environmental approval. In December 2020, the federal
government granted it major project status and conditionally approved the first
stage under the commonwealth's Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act. At that stage, the project was going okay. After receiving
approval for stage 1, the proponents submitted their expanded 26-gigawatt exciting second stage to the Western Australian
Environmental Protection Authority and, only last month, the public
consultation period commenced and they expanded the second stage under the
commonwealth EPBC act with the understanding that the state environmental
assessment was already underway.
I must confess that I am disappointed—I
know the Minister for Hydrogen Industry in the other place is also disappointed—that
the commonwealth government has decided to reject the second stage before any due process has been undertaken. Strangely, the
federal Minister for the Environment leapt out of the box with a determination
that the revised proposal was ''clearly unacceptable'', despite
the fact that the decision had clearly occurred without meaningful engagement
with the commonwealth, the proponent or the government of Western Australia. It
is bizarre that the commonwealth government is now turning its back on the new
energy future. It is bizarre that it has almost unilaterally rejected this
proposal and it is bizarre that after all the twisting and turning that it
undertook in Queensland to drag the Adani coal project almost dying across the
finish line, that today it would, without due process and without any
meaningful engagement with the proponent, simply reject the second stage of
what will be Australia's largest green hydrogen project and a flag-bearer
for the energy future of Western Australia.
Perhaps
the commonwealth Minister for the Environment had half an eye on the Nationals
in Canberra and realised that the climate change wars are not over yet.
Maybe she was anticipating Barnaby Joyce coming back into the fold, and is
understanding that we do not need to take on a green energy future, investing
in renewable hydrogen, making sure that we are creating the jobs of future and
making sure that Australia is a leader in
new energy proposals and is allowing Barnaby and the National Party to drag us
back into the dark ages of coal, climate change denial and taking Western
Australia's economic future backwards.
It is bizarre the way in which the
commonwealth environment minister so quickly rejected out of hand this proposal
that represents a significant and exciting future for a decarbonised WA
economy. Only last month, the federal budget had in it an interesting funding
commitment around hydrogen—$275.5 million towards developing four more
hydrogen production hubs, with potential sites including the Pilbara in Western
Australia. What is going on? What is going on in the heads of those opposite?
What is going on with the commonwealth
government? Clearly, they are not prepared to embrace the future. Clearly, they
are not prepared to back the WA McGowan
government's commitment to renewable hydrogen and, clearly, the climate wars are not over yet. Barnaby and the
National Party are dragging us back, but we will resist and the McGowan Labor
government will take Western Australia forward as part of our green energy
vision for WA.
the question and her ongoing interest and expertise in the area of energy.
(1)–(2) We
are all excited about the jobs that will be created and the expansion of new
industries in the renewable energy sector. Whether it is for the generation,
manufacture or export of hydrogen in the future, the future energy focus is the future for the Western Australian
economy. We are excited about the changes in our energy and resources
industry and what they will mean for the ongoing diversification of the Western
Australian economy. We are excited about projects such as the Asian Renewable
Energy Hub, which is tipped to be a world leader in green hydrogen production,
particularly as we move responsibly towards a decarbonised economy. We are most excited about the potential
for projects such as these to transform the Pilbara economy and to create over 5 000 jobs in construction and
3 000 jobs in its operation over the life of the project. There is one
government that is not as excited as we are about this project. It is
disappointing to see the federal government is not so excited about this
project, particularly when it appears to have supported it thus far.
In
October 2020, the first 15-gigawatt stage of the project received state
government environmental approval. In December 2020, the federal
government granted it major project status and conditionally approved the first
stage under the commonwealth's Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act. At that stage, the project was going okay. After receiving
approval for stage 1, the proponents submitted their expanded 26-gigawatt exciting second stage to the Western Australian
Environmental Protection Authority and, only last month, the public
consultation period commenced and they expanded the second stage under the
commonwealth EPBC act with the understanding that the state environmental
assessment was already underway.
I must confess that I am disappointed—I
know the Minister for Hydrogen Industry in the other place is also disappointed—that
the commonwealth government has decided to reject the second stage before any due process has been undertaken. Strangely, the
federal Minister for the Environment leapt out of the box with a determination
that the revised proposal was ''clearly unacceptable'', despite
the fact that the decision had clearly occurred without meaningful engagement
with the commonwealth, the proponent or the government of Western Australia. It
is bizarre that the commonwealth government is now turning its back on the new
energy future. It is bizarre that it has almost unilaterally rejected this
proposal and it is bizarre that after all the twisting and turning that it
undertook in Queensland to drag the Adani coal project almost dying across the
finish line, that today it would, without due process and without any
meaningful engagement with the proponent, simply reject the second stage of
what will be Australia's largest green hydrogen project and a flag-bearer
for the energy future of Western Australia.
Perhaps
the commonwealth Minister for the Environment had half an eye on the Nationals
in Canberra and realised that the climate change wars are not over yet.
Maybe she was anticipating Barnaby Joyce coming back into the fold, and is
understanding that we do not need to take on a green energy future, investing
in renewable hydrogen, making sure that we are creating the jobs of future and
making sure that Australia is a leader in
new energy proposals and is allowing Barnaby and the National Party to drag us
back into the dark ages of coal, climate change denial and taking Western
Australia's economic future backwards.
It is bizarre the way in which the
commonwealth environment minister so quickly rejected out of hand this proposal
that represents a significant and exciting future for a decarbonised WA
economy. Only last month, the federal budget had in it an interesting funding
commitment around hydrogen—$275.5 million towards developing four more
hydrogen production hubs, with potential sites including the Pilbara in Western
Australia. What is going on? What is going on in the heads of those opposite?
What is going on with the commonwealth
government? Clearly, they are not prepared to embrace the future. Clearly, they
are not prepared to back the WA McGowan
government's commitment to renewable hydrogen and, clearly, the climate wars are not over yet. Barnaby and the
National Party are dragging us back, but we will resist and the McGowan Labor
government will take Western Australia forward as part of our green energy
vision for WA.
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